Chapter 101: Chapter 24 The Light of Tranquility_4
At this point, Miao Fei was woken up by people’s chatter. Confounded, he said, "Boss Yue, could it have been the work of the Assassin’s Guild? They are the only ones capable of slipping unnoticed into Yan Shi’s home."
Upon hearing ’Assassin’s Guild,’ Ah Dai’s body jolted involuntarily, remembering those assassins who had driven Owen to death. He clenched his fists instinctively.
Moon Scar shook his head, "It doesn’t seem like it. It shouldn’t be the work of the Assassin’s Guild. Assassins from the Guild are indeed ruthless and never question their targets. But they never have the habit of treachery. They usually eliminate their targets cleanly and vanish. The perpetrator should be someone very familiar with the Yan Shi family. My guess is, it might be someone from their tribe who bears a deep grudge against Yan Shi."
Ah Dai calmed down gradually. He said, "But Yan Shi once told me that people of the Pu Yan tribe are very simple!"
Yue Ji snorted, "You can’t tell what’s in a person’s heart. You might find grit even in a pot of sweet porridge. Don’t forget, Yan Shi’s house is in the middle of the tribe. In daylight, the Pu Yan tribe is crowded with people. Even if someone flew in, outsiders would likely be spotted by the Pu Yan people. So, only their fellow tribesmen could sneak into his house without alarming others."
Miao Fei lowered his head and said, "Let’s hope the clan leader of the Pu Yan tribe can rightfully identify the killer. They better not frame us as scapegoats. Boss Yue, I’ll go take over the driving, so he can take a break."
Moon Scar nodded. Agilely, Miao Fei darted out. The carriage stopped, and only after Wan Li got on did it start moving again.
As soon as Wan Li got on the carriage, he said, "I just heard from Pu Yan tribe members that Yan Shi seems to have woken up. He’s not making a fuss and appears to have gone mute. He’s not saying a word."
Moon Scar sighed, "There’s no greater sorrow than a dead heart. His wife’s death has severely traumatized Yan Shi."
Ah Dai looked at Moon Scar and said, "I want to go see Brother Yan Shi and see if I can console him."
Moon Scar was taken aback, "You’d be of no use even if you went. It’s better not to go and avoid causing misunderstanding."
Ah Dai shook his head, "No, I want to see him. I know how it feels to lose a loved one. It’s just too painful." He ignored Moon Scar’s objections and jumped off the carriage. Surprisingly, Xuan Yue, who usually liked to keep Ah Dai in check, closed her eyes as if she saw nothing and started meditating.
After Ah Dai jumped out of the carriage, he noticed it was surrounded by Pu Yan tribe warriors all armed with long knives. They were all dressed in light armor, positioning themselves around the carriage in the middle. Behind their carriage was a wider one, surrounded by a dozen intimidating warriors. Although the sunlight was bright, their faces held a hint of somberness. Undoubtedly, Yan Shi must be in this carriage.
The carriage behind had by now arrived near Ah Dai. He rushed to the warrior at the helm and said, "Big brother, I heard that Yan Shi has awoken. I want to see him, is that okay?"
The warrior frowned, "Brother Yan Shi just woke up. It’s best not to disturb him. Mr. Magician, please return to your carriage. Once we meet the clan leader, right and wrong will be determined."
Before Ah Dai could speak, a swift horse galloped from the front. The man atop the horse was the burly man standing at the door of Yan Shi’s house. He changed into a black armor and carried a long knife on his back. He addressed the warrior in front of the carriage, "What happened?"
The warrior saluted to the burly man and said, "Big Brother Yan Ju, this magician says he wants to see Brother Yan Shi."
Yan Ju looked at Ah Dai and smiled, "Thank you and that Miss Mage for your magic that day. It spared my brother Yan Shi from death." He sighed, "This time, Yan Shi has been gravely hurt. I tried consoling him, but he’s just not in a good state... Anyway, since you wish to see him, you can, but don’t talk for too long. He needs rest."
Ah Dai joyfully replied, "Thank you, Big Brother Yan Ju." He then moved to the back of the carriage carrying Yan Shi and hopped on.
As Yan Ju watched Ah Dai climb onto the carriage, a peculiar gleam flashed in his eyes. He turned his horse around, heading back to the front of the squad.
Inside the carriage, Ah Dai saw Yan Shi lying beside him, his body strapped to a thick wooden board. Yan Shi was blankly staring at the black coffin beside him. His face was pale with dull eyes; he seemed to not have recovered from the aftereffects of going berserk the previous day.
Ah Dai asked in a low voice, "Brother Yan Shi, are you feeling better?"
Yan Shi didn’t utter a sound. He still stared blankly at the coffin beside him, as if he hadn’t heard Ah Dai.
Ah Dai sat beside Yan Shi, and whispered, "Brother Yan Shi, I know that you’re heartbroken over Sister-in-law’s death, but you must pull yourself together! The killer is still at large – if you lose yourself in despair like this, she won’t rest in peace." Ah Dai felt oppressed. Seeing Yan Shi like this, his heart ached.
Yan Shi still showed no reaction, maintaining his position as earlier.
Ah Dai held Yan Shi’s cold, large hand. He said, "Brother Yan Shi, I’m not good at expressing myself. The death of Sister-in-law must have severely traumatized you. Not long ago, my dear uncle, who dearly loved me, also died. My feelings then were the same as yours now. My uncle was also murdered. But right now, I’m too weak to avenge him. I have been an orphan since I was very young; it was my teacher who took me in. He taught me magic and alchemy. Not long after, I met my uncle. He was critically ill due to a deadly poison. He forcefully took me away from my teacher’s house to the Sodiu Federation and started teaching me martial arts. Initially I missed my teacher and resented my uncle. But after some time, my uncle was very good to me. I realized that he was also a good man. Just when I started having a deep bond with my uncle, his enemy found us, and because of that incident, my uncle had to use all his Dou Qi, which led to his death due to the subsequent poisoning. I really miss my uncle. I wish he could be alive." As he spoke, images of Owen appeared continuously in front of Ah Dai. Tear drops fell uncontrollably on Yan Shi’s hand. Yan Shi seemed to move a little.
After a while, Ah Dai finally calmed down. He continued, "Brother Yan Shi, you need to bounce back. Sister-in-law’s deep hatred has to be avenged by you. If you continue like this, it will delight no one more than the murderer who killed Sister-in-law. Brother Moon Scar analyzed the details and he reckons that it’s most likely that one of your tribe members killed Sister-in-law."
On hearing Ah Dai’s words, a gleam flashed through Yan Shi’s dim eyes as he continually shook his head. "No, not possible. It’s not possible. Our tribe members are all very kind. How could they possibly murder Yun Er?"
Ah Dai echoed Yue Ji’s words, "Even in a pot of sweet porridge there could be sand, we really can’t say anything for sure! During daytime, only your tribe members could potentially enter your house. Brother Yan Shi, think about it, do you have any enemies in the tribe?"
Yan Shi shook his head, "I have very good relationships with my tribesmen, how could there be any enemies. Yun Er, Yun Er, why did you choose to leave me alone in this world. How can I continue living? Brother, do you know how important Yun Er was to me? We grew up together. Yun Er didn’t have an illustrious background. She was two years younger than me. Her parents died when she was very young, and my father kindly took her in. She always viewed herself as my maid. When I was a teenager, she started taking care of me. She was so kind, so beautiful, her meticulous care and affection for me can’t be compared to anyone else’s. When I was angry, she comforted me, when I was in pain, she was there for me, when I was sick, she cared for me, when I was in a mood, she was concerned about me. She was my forever angel. Even if the position of the Clan Leader of the Pu Yan Tribe was offered to me, it wouldn’t matter to me as much as her. When I turned eighteen, we fell in love. Initially, she refused to accept my love. I knew she loved me from the way we were always together. She had feelings for me too, but didn’t accept me because she thought she was not worthy of me because of her status. But what did my love for her have to do with her status? Her kindness was all that mattered to me. After my persistent begging, she finally accepted me. Brother, don’t laugh at me, but to win her heart, I kneeled in front of her. Perhaps my perseverance touched her and so, she eventually opened up to me, and we’ve been together since then."
